Despite it's unusual appearance, the Mignon typewriter is of a very clever design, giving a smooth and fast operation for typing. With thumb and forefinger, one pinches the black tab on the pendulum. The pendulum swings freely over the index plate and is moved to point at the desired character. Then the black button at the front of the machine (one is for spacing) is pushed down, causing the type-cylinder to come down onto the top of the platen.

The index plate and the type-cylinder could be changed, allowing for different languages and fonts. The Mignon was popular for three decades and was still produced into the early thirties.

You can see my collection of 19th century typewriters at
www.antiquetypewriters.com